The New York Knicks finally saw Josh Hart return to the court Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers, and they secured a big win on the road in his first game back. His presence sparked some physicality for New York, and they won a gritty game against the hottest team in the NBA, 123-114.
Josh Hart didn’t miss a beat in his return
Josh Hart was put back into the starting lineup with no minutes restriction, and he brought the same every and intensity that he put on display prior to his injury.
In his first game back, Hart provided a bit of everything. He scored 18 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished six assists, recorded two steals, and knocked down three three-pointers. His presence helped the Knicks move the ball really well, which resulted in hyper-efficient offense from the group as a whole.
The Knicks badly missed Hart, as they went just 3-5 in the eight games he missed. His return came at an important time for the Knicks, as they have faced their first true taste of adversity this season. This win was huge for them.
All five Knicks starters made important contributions
Along with Hart, the rest of the starting five for the Knicks all chipped in very strong performances. Like they did in their recent win over the Clippers, they showed that team brand of basketball with great movement and knocking down high-percentage looks.
Jalen Brunson led the way in scoring with 26 points, and he also grabbed six rebounds and dished eight assists. OG Anunoby also chipped in 24 points and seven rebounds, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Mikal Bridges provided 18 points with six rebounds and six assists.
Overall as a team, they shot 50% from the field and 37% from three, with 32 assists to go along with it. When the ball moves around the court, good things happen for the Knicks, and their past few wins have been the result of great ball movement and playmaking.
The Knicks struggled in transition on defense
Despite the victory, it wasn’t the cleanest effort defensively for the Knicks. While their half court defense was superb, their transition defense was the opposite, and it gave them quite a bit of trouble at points throughout the game.
Portland recorded 25 points off of fastbreaks, some of which came off of made baskets from New York. Transition defense has given them problems at times throughout the season, and it’s an area that they will need to clean up moving forward.
Overview
While the standings wouldn’t classify this as a must-win, the Knicks needed to get themselves back on track. They have looked a lot better of late, and they will look to keep that going on Wednesday, when they head to Sacramento to take on the struggling Kings.